Insulated ski boot structure



Jan. 10, 1961 E. R. BARRON l 2,957,359v

INSULATED SKI BOOT STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 3, 1959 SZW/lp;

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INVENTOR Un/ard l?. czrr 012,

ATTORNEY United States Patent INSULATED SKI BOOT STRUCTURE Edward R. Barron, Framingham, Mass., assigner to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Sept. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 838,005

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-2.5) y

(Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to insulated ski boots and the like and has for its primary object to provide such a boot which may be built upon a conventional last so as to conform to the natural contour of the foot and yet be provided with a flat or square-sided toe area so as to conform to the special equipment with which the boot is to be associated, especially ski bindings.

A further object of the invention consists in so forming the boot that compression of the insulation material is avoided, either in the construction of the boot or in the application of the ski bindings or harness over the toe area.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing footwear with the right and left foot having identically shaped toe sections so as to eliminate the need for right and left ski bindings or harness.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of a method of constructing an insulated ski boot having a contoured round shape on the inside of the toe portion and a squared exterior toe portion without damaging the insulation material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the novel boots;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the toe protector portion of the boot.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference numeral, the sole of the novel boot is indicated by the numeral 10, while the upper is indicated by the numeral 11, and is shown as being closed by means of a zipper 12, although any other type of closure might be employed. The toe of the boot is indicated generally by the numeral 13, and comprises the essence of the invention.

The toe 13 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and comprises an inner sock lining 14 shaped to a conventional last as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Enveloping the sock lining 14 is a plurality of layers of heat-insulating material which are indicated by the numerals 15 and 16, the layers 15 being preferably formed of fleece, while the layer 16 ICC may be of felt-like construction. These insulation layers are shaped at their lower ends to cooperate with an insole 17, and a corner ller 18 may be employed, if desired, to fill the space formed between the outer layer 15 of fleece and the corner of a toe-protective cap which is indicated by the numeral 19 and clearly illustrated in the perspective view shown in Figure 4. Inwardly directed flanges 19' are formed on the sides of the cap for anchoring the latter to the midsole in any preferred manner.

This cap 19 may be rigid or semi-rigid, and is preferably constructed of thermoplastic, thermo-setting material, berwood, leather or polyethylene. The forming of the cap may be accomplished by injection molding, vacuum, heat or chemical activation.

The design or shape and size of the cap is determined by first attaching all materials heretofore referred to to an ordinary conventional shoe last. Thereafter, a model fabricated of wood, metal, plastic, etc., is made from this dummy and serves to form a die from which the cap 19 may be made. Changes to the outside shape of the box toe can be made by building up the model to whatever shape and dimension are desired.

In fabricating the completed article of footwear, the various elements 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are applied to the conventional last and the premolded toe cap 19 is thereafter mounted on the partly formed boot as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The various elements may be united in any desired manner, and the whole is* molded to the sole 10 and upper 11 and vulcanized in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen that in the ski boot as thus con structed the foot cavity is formed on a conventional mold, while the cap is of rectangular form so as to conform to the shape of the conventional ski bindings, thereby rendering the boot more comfortable to the wearer than previously formed ski boots in which the foot cavity was of rectangular form corresponding to the rectangular exterior, and that this ski boot eliminates the necessity of requiring both right and left-hand ski bindings. Furthermore, by reason of the rigid or semi-rigid character of cap 19, compression of the heat-insulating material is avoided, both in the manufacture of the boot and when the ski bindings are applied to the boot, thereby avoiding reduction in the eiciency of the heat-insulating material.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I now consider to be the preferred form of the invention, but since various minor changes may be made in structural details without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is intended that all such changes be ineluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ski boot including an inner sock lining which is rounded in its upper toe portion and flat in its lower portion to conform to the shape of the toe portion of the wearers foot, a rigid cap portion spaced from the sock lining and having its sides shaped to conform to the shape of the toe clamps of a selected ski harness, heat insulation material disposed between the cap portion and the sock lining and curved to conform to the curvature of the latter, and means for binding said elements into a unitary structure.

2. A ski boot including an inner sock lining which is rounded in its upper toe portion and flat in its lower portion to conform to the shape of the toe portion of the Wearers foot, a midsole, a rigid cap portion, inwardlydirected anges on the sides of the cap portion engaging th'o'u't'er fac"of` the midsole, the side walls of the cap being shaped to conform to the shape of the toe clamps of a selected ski harness, heat insulation material disposed between the cap and the sock lining, and a rubber sole and upper encompassing said elements.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,771,746 Clifford July 29, 1930 4 Summerhayes Feb. 17, 1942 Rome Jan. 17, 1950 Bullard May 19, 1953 Randall et al. Nov. 22, 1955 LHollier Jan. 3, 1956 Campagna Aug. 4, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Sept. 30, 1957 

